


crystal clear

by limned



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 14:03:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11186634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limned/pseuds/limned
Summary: “Sex pollen?” Steve asked blankly.  “Is that something that happens now?”





	crystal clear

“Sex pollen?” Steve asked blankly. “Is that something that happens now?”

“No,” Bruce said right away, because Tony’s expression had lit up and he needed to head off the rest of the incoming nonsense. Steve knew enough to fact-check all information from Tony against google or a reliable bystander, but this would save time. “Sex pollen isn’t a thing,” he said, very firmly.

Tony made a disappointed sulking face in Bruce’s direction, but his eyes were still dancing. “Okay, yeah, maybe it isn’t called that by the general population. But what would _you_ call it?”

“We know Hydra has experimented with a lot of psychoactive drugs. They can cause increased euphoria, sensation, loss of inhibition—“

“Total lack of self-preservation?” Tony prodded.

They glanced toward the middle of the quinjet where Natasha still had Clint pinned on his stomach with his arms twisted behind his back. Bruce sighed. “Apparently.”

.

It hadn’t been clear until an hour into the return flight that Clint’s symptoms were getting worse, not better.

He’d finally tapered off from laughing and lay spread-eagled on the floor, smiling up at the overhead hydraulics. Bruce was sitting beside him to monitor his breathing and periodically check his pulse and blood pressure. The extreme dilation of his pupils showed that he was still stoned out of his mind, but he seemed calm and loose enough that Bruce had started to relax a little. Maybe they didn’t need to worry about dangerous side effects from the gas in the ceiling vents.

“Where’s Natasha?” Clint asked suddenly.

He hadn’t said many sensible things between the giggling, so Bruce took it as a good sign. “She’s talking to Fury on the radio, Clint. She’ll be back soon.”

“Oh. That’s good.” He blinked at the ceiling, still with the same wide and dreamy smile. “She’s beautiful.”

Bruce bit his lip to keep from smiling himself and resisted the urge to pat Clint’s shoulder. “Yes, she is.”

“Her ass just doesn’t quit, either.”

 _Ouch._ Biting his lip wasn’t a great idea, then. He looked around obliquely to be sure that Natasha (and more importantly, Tony) hadn’t overheard. “Okay, Clint. You should stay here and take it easy. Maybe not talk too much until—“

“Nat!” Clint said joyfully. He craned his neck as she walked back from the cockpit, stretching both hands over his head. “You’re back!”

Natasha dropped to one knee and studied his face. “Jesus, you’re high, Barton.”

“Yup,” he agreed, and reached to hook one clumsy hand around her ankle. “Bruce is watching me. He said I shouldn’t talk.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” Natasha pried off his hand, giving him another close look and flicking her eyes briefly at Bruce. “Stay here and rest, okay?”

Clint waited about four seconds after she sat down on the sidewall bench and then he was up, evading Bruce’s futile grab to crawl over the steel deck and twine himself around Natasha’s knees. “Hi, Nat,” he said happily, beaming up at her as she looked calmly back.

Tony was grinning like this was Christmas; Steve just looked a little appalled, like someone might be about to die. Bruce tried to ignore both of them as he searched for the right way to handle this. He didn’t have a lot of experience dealing with high and delusional patients, except for a few stray backpackers during the Holi festival, and he _really_ hoped this wasn’t going to be as bizarre. He remembered the need to use simple words, at least. “Clint,” he said sternly, reaching a careful hand toward Clint’s shoulder. “You need to behave yourself. Be nice to Natasha.”

“I’m always nice to her,” Clint said in a cheerful but slightly puzzled voice, and tipped his cheek against Natasha’s knee. “Always.”

“Right, Clint, we know you are, but—“

Bruce didn’t have any time to react when Clint’s hands moved abruptly from her knees to her thighs. He barely managed to tumble out of the way as Natasha twisted up, breaking Clint’s grip and rolling him down on the floor.

.

“I’m not sure this should be as hot as it is,” Tony said thoughtfully. “No, wait. I actually don’t care about that. If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”

Bruce shut his eyes and let his head thud back against the wall. Again. He’d stopped looking at anyone after Natasha made the second trial run at releasing Clint and he went straight back to groping her, and she pinned him down again. This was the longest two-hour flight in history.

It felt longer every time he heard snatches of what Clint was saying to her, half of it incredibly sweet and the other half so filthy that even Tony looked impressed.

.

They landed at Teterboro and Bruce managed to get Clint into the back row of the helicopter, mostly due to Steve’s assistance. He’d never been so grateful for the deafening volume of rotor blades because he could see that Clint still hadn’t stopped talking as he repeatedly tried to climb over the seat to Natasha.

He was ready for trouble when they dragged Clint into the tower elevator, but he didn’t anticipate what actually happened.

“Nat?” Clint said, twisting under Steve’s arm to peer back at her. He didn’t look happy and high anymore, like he was having fun and didn’t mind being slammed around. He looked anxious, freaked out, his dilated eyes wide with uncertainty. “Aren’t you coming?”

Bruce wasn’t looking behind him because he was focused on keeping Clint from escaping, so he wasn’t expecting it when Natasha sighed and moved into the elevator, gently shouldering him aside. “Okay, I’m here,” she said, and Clint’s face dissolved into relief, and a second later he was wrapped around her.

Steve had stepped back immediately, tugging Bruce with him, murmuring, “Let’s go, they’re fine,” and yeah, it was apparently past time to leave because they were already kissing slow and familiar before the elevator doors slid shut.

He didn’t feel any less like an idiot when Tony crowed, “I _knew it!”_ and started digging for champagne behind the bar, but it was funny enough that he didn’t mind too much about missing the obvious.


End file.
